EHS Pleasant Street Wildflower Project

The amount of honeybees in our wildflowers is amazing. There are clusters of half a dozen or more at times, as well as a generous helping spread throughout. As the first flowers fade away and dry up, and the goldfinches grab their seeds, the newest ones begin blooming. The cosmos get 4+ feet tall and will put on quite a show, as some of the first ones are already demonstrating.

One of the most unusual pollinators I've ever seen is this one: Bombus Georgius Vilhelmus.

er family.

Bombus Georgius Vilhelmus, or GW as we like to call him, came to EHS many years ago, and has been a huge fan of the Wildflower Project, always expressing heartfelt support and admiration. All of us, including our flowers, owe a debt to him. As he moves on to bigger wildflower gardens (today is his last day at EHS), he will be badly missed.

Every week we're getting new types of blooms in the garden, and the biggest ones are yet to come. Stay tuned...

Pollinator Factoid: Moths and orchids evolved together. One species of orchid from the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar —Angraecum sesquipedale—had a nectar spur longer than any known Madagascan insect could possibly feed from. The sphinx moth -Xanthopan morganii- actually evolved along with this orchid, to develop an 11 inch long tongue!